Reinforcing wire for chimney breast?

[Restoration man]

I've been painting my house and have to put up scaffolding for some of the chimneys as the house design is very awkward. On the chimney breasts there are metal corner pieces where wire used to run. Ive since learnt these are ariel lashing corners.

Is it worth reinstating this as a wire only to give extra strength to the harling? Im thinking this may give extra life to such an exposed area?

Thanks

 

[tomfe]

If you want to have a play with some wire rope, go for it.
If not don't worry about it.

 

[KenGMac]

Restoration man, good evening.

I recently noticed that someone when applying an external coat of Render had fixed Stainless Steel mesh, not Dissimilar to Chicken wire over the entire surface of the external wall.

It appeared that the S/Steel was fixed using S/S Washers and S/Screws.

Almost as if the Render was being reinforced by the mesh and the adhesion was increased.

Ken.

 

[Doggit]

If the substrate won't take render on it's own, then you would add the mesh, and then render on to that, but it's not for reinforcement. Putting the wire around the chimney on the old aerial lashing straps won't really do much, but it's very much lateral thinking.

 

[Restoration man]

My house is lime harled. Known as wet dash round my way. The chips or grit mixed with the lime morter. But around 30 years ago a garage was added and when it was portland cement harled the owners had the house done over the top of the lime.

It's come off in places and I've had it patched. The chimney breast seems solid but is covered in micro cracks. I think the lack of flexibility of cement is cracking where the lime underneath can move a little. It's a dilemma though I'm using Dulux masonry paint and it covers cracks big time. I'm just worried it starts falling off in the next 5 to 10 years. Hence the thought of the wire.

 

[Doggit]

When you render a wall, the principle is that each subsequent layer is weaker than the one underneath, so yes, if it started off with lime, and then went to cement, it's going to crack, but that doesn't mean that a mesh render job will do any better. The wire won't give any help I'm afraid.